Britannia Theatre

In the Ponsonby suburb of Auckland, close to Three Lamps Corner, a skating rink was opened in 1910. In the 1920’s this was restructured as a cinema, the Britannia Theatre, by pioneer exhibitor Thomas O'Brien.

The Britannia Theatre closed by Kerridge-Odeon in the early-1970’s. The building became home to Joe’s Bargain Warehouse until new owners completely transformed it and re-opened it as Three Lamps Plaza. There were retail outlets at street level and The Alhambra music venue on a new mezzanine level.

The Alhambra opened on 26th October 1982. In a now-doubt unconscious nod to the building’s past, a giant video screen dominated the space. This was used for major sporting events, but also for screenings of classic films - “To Kill a Mockingbird”, starring Gregory Peck, being a particular favourite.

Eventually, a rent dispute with the building’s owners led to the Alhambra closing on 31st December 2006.

The interior was then once again significantly remodelled, to update the building’s ‘tired’ image but without losing its heritage ‘character’. So, there are now offices on a truncated mezzanine, which has opened up the view of the original ceiling from the ground floor, with its decorative features from its time as a picture house.

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